In the past couple of days, President Bush has demanded answers about the torture of POWs in Iraq. On the surface, that sounds vaguely reassuring at a time when not much else does. However, a slightly deeper examination leads on to conclude that these words might be as empty as any similar declarations. After 9-11, Bush demanded answers, and pledged to get to the bottom of how this happened. Excellent. Then he and his staff spent months opposing, stalling, and rtefusing to cooperate with the commission investigating the attack, to the point where commissioners form both parties complained bitterly and publicly. When he finally gave int pressure and cooperated somewhat, he attached all kinds of bizzarre conditions on his cooperation. Does this sound like getting the answers was his priority? After much or all of the information the administration used to sell it's invasion of Iraq proved false, Bush said he was concerned, and demanded answers for the few failures he was even willing to concede may have happened. Then, when documentation and testimony made it clear that the WH knew much if not all of the info used was discredited before hand, few if any comments were forthcoming. Woodward's recent book citeds direct quotes from the administration, including Bush himself, demonstrating that the movment to attack Iraq preceded 9-11, and that information was accumulated not to decide whether to invade or not, but to sell it to the public. The NIE report confirms that the intel community were completely contradicting Bush' version of Saddam as a threat, and yet he claimed they were telling him the opposite. He even knew their WMD evidence was shaky, but proceeded on the grouns that he was told it was assured they would be found, irrespective of the lack of proof. After a member of the White House Staff exposed the CIA identity of the wife of Ambassador Wilson because of his ( legitimate) criticism of the administration's deception regarding the WMD war argument, Bush said he was deeply concerned, and demanded answers. Despite knowing that it was a member of the WH staff, and there being a very select number of people with both the intelligence clearance and political motivation for so doing, all of them working for Bush, 7 months have passed and nothing further is known. As Wilson himself is saying, either Bush doesn't mean what he says, or his staff are ignoring him. FOr the record, Bush is still concerned with acts his father termed "treason", but in practice nothing is happening, and Republican representatives are calling it " an old story." On th war in general, Bush and other WH official continue to ignore repeated and increasingly emphatic requests for appearances before the bi-partisan committee on Foreigh Affairs to the point where representatives from both parties have gone public with their anger and concern over the stonewalling and lack of accountability. To date the highest ranking official to agree to appear, despite being in a state of war with growing conerns, is an Asst. Sec. of State. So when Bush says he is deeply distrubed, and demands answers about the POW catastrophe, take it with a few boat loads of salt. If, as Taguba's report and all kinds of eyewitness accounts from those on the scene demonstrate, the mandate for the torture of the POWs goes higher than the soldiers involved or easily sacrificed low level officials, expect the same progress and White House cooperation with this pursuit of the truth as has been demonstrated in the past; To wit; none, and likely interference.
Some of these reports are three months old. If Bush had any concern about what was going on, he would have "demanded answers" a long time ago.
The only happy liberal is an angry liberal. More proof. Keep trying to stir up negative news to put Bush in the worst light possible. What is this, the third thread on the same topic? Fourth? You could have easily put this in one of the other threads dealing with this issue. This is just desperation. Aint' it funny watching the liberals try to sound like they are relevant?
Yeah...that's the issue. Say, T_J, how many threads on the Rep take on Kerry's medals/war record have you hoisted on us, devoid of substance, and then run away or retreated to rhetoric when confounded as usual? I suppose, though, that whther or not they were ribbons or medals is much more important than the fact that we spent months torturing POWs to get info for our moral crusade. And, finally, if I went back and counted, how many of the posts since this inexcusable and atrocious patterns was revealed do you think you've spent acknowledging the atrocity and/or what EVERYONE in acknowledging it means to the war, and how many do you think you've spent defelcting it and instead engaging in yet more attacks on liberals? What would be your best guess? Yeah, we're the desperate ones with skewed priorities. GIve it up, you're only embarassing yourself more, if possible.
Bush does a fine job of putting himself in the worst possible light, Trader _J. The only people who don't realize that are either living in a fantasy contruct all their own, not paying attention to the news, closing their eyes to any criticism of "their guy", or all of the above. In my opinion, of course. Which category do you fall into?
He should demand answers from his advance staff... He was on the "Winning the War on Terror Tour", but they just changed it to the "Yes, America Can Tour." I honestly can't say which is worse, but more importantly, can someone explain why the name would have to be changed in the first place? I'm at a loss.
Rim, I'm off topic a tad, but quickly;I've been thinking about you last day or so given the news out of California. How bad is it, and are you gonna have to go?
As I heard it framed today: when Saddam was toppled, the left cackled that it was, after all, Clinton's military who had accomplished the feat. Now with this bad news about a small percentage of US soldiers mis-treating some of the Iraqi prisoners.... suddenly it is Bush's military and he is somehow personally to blame. Too funny.
I must say they are really going through the motions. Most of us who aren't Republicans would be shocked if he actually pursued this even if it didn't reflect postively on his war or reelection chances. Last night most of the Republicans on the tube were just saying it was a few bad apples and that was about it to the sex torture thing. What is wild is that the accuseds families and the including the female general are blaming the intelligence guys and the interrogation contractors. It might be very hard to control with all the finger pointing and no one wanting to be the fall guy.
And "small percentage" and "mistreating" is a tad dismissive, no? Espcially considering the military's own report states it was widespread, and condoned for the purpose of interrogation.
Yawn... I just stepped into the breakroom and saw Hillary Clinton grandstanding on television, railing against the troops. In this grandstand, she claims that the method of interrogation that the United States is using isn't effective. Let me ask all of you -- How on earth would Hillary Clinton know what is an effective form of interrogation? Heck, she can't even keep a man happy, much less handle the duties of the CIA. She has no clue. For her to get her arrogant self up on television and question the methods of our troops is ridiculous and beyond ludicrous. She is a common housewife who was made famous by her philandering and impeached husband. She is nothing more. Sad really, that people actually give her a microphone to spew her liberal filth. Isn't it amazing how much sympathy the liberals are willing to give to these *terrorists*, insurgents, and enemies of the United States? All in the name of the election.... Just wait until a commission is established and the liberals will once again have free reign to grandstand and point fingers in the name of political gain, all the while distorting the true mission of gathering data.
There's no other answer: Trader_Jorge is a flaming liberal. Anybody who can make conservatives look this stupid has to be working for the Democratic Party.
Ain't it funny how when the liberals get stopped cold in their tracks, they have no other arrows in their quiver except for juvenile, adolescent insults? You're stupid! (GreenVegan) Idiot! (MacBeth) Moron! (andymoon) I guess you just can't handle someone challenging you. You wilt under the pressure and simply let anger overcome you.
Lol. No kidding. Not particularly proud of the comment, as I try to only comment on posts or post patterns, not posters, but his sustained, intentional and completely classless posts required an honest response. It is also partly an expression of exasperation at myself for even trying to engage in serious debate with someone it was clear long ago can't or won't do so. It was also as extreme a comment as I've made in here, in terms of being personel, and is the quivalent of putting someone on ignore for me. Won't use the function, but also won't be culled into trying to engage that poster the next time he seems to try serious debate for a post or two. I'm done with him.
